Women Vote! spent $37M on independent expenditures in the 2020 federal elections, and 93% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 25% ended up on the winning side ($9.1M won, $27M lost).
Outside spending
$37M
On the winning side
25%
$9.1M
On the losing side
$27M
Supporting vs attacking
30% / 70%
$11M for, $26M against
Google says Women Vote! also spent $855K on Google and YouTube ads this cycle (2% of its FEC-reported outside spending). All ad buyers →
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
Women Vote! reported $26M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- Emily's List Non-FederalAnother PAC$7.5M (29%)
- Donald SussmanIndividual$4.1M (16%)
- America VotesCompany / nonprofit$1.2M (5%)
- Vincent RyanIndividual$1.0M (4%)
- Michael BloombergIndividual$1.0M (4%)
- Pat StrykerIndividual$900K (4%)
- Dennis EckIndividual$775K (3%)
- Senate Majority PACAnother PAC$700K (3%)
- Marsha LauferIndividual$650K (3%)
- Scott ShenkerIndividual$520K (2%)
Where the money went
Biggest targets, with whether each one paid off.
✓ Backed the winner or attacked the loser ✗ Backed the loser or attacked the winner Result not matched
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Amount | Paid off? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Biden | President | Supporting | $5.4M | ✓ Yes |
| Susan Margaret Collins | Maine Senate | Attacking | $4.3M | ✗ No |
| Joni Ernst | Iowa Senate | Attacking | $3.9M | ✗ No |
| Roger Marshall | Kansas Senate | Attacking | $2.7M | ✗ No |
| Mary Hegar | Texas Senate | Supporting | $1.3M | ✗ No |
| John Cornyn | Texas Senate | Attacking | $1.0M | ✗ No |
| Michael Franken | Iowa Senate (primary) | Attacking | $919K | ✓ Yes |
| Yvette Herrell | New Mexico 2nd District | Attacking | $907K | ✗ No |
| Ann Wagner | Missouri 2nd District | Attacking | $883K | ✗ No |
| Richard Hudson | North Carolina 8th District | Attacking | $869K | ✗ No |
| Stephanie Bice | Oklahoma 5th District | Attacking | $835K | ✗ No |
| Victoria Spartz | Indiana 5th District | Attacking | $822K | ✗ No |
Questions people ask
- How much did Women Vote! spend in 2020, and did it win?
- Women Vote! spent $37M on independent expenditures in the 2020 federal elections, and 93% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2020). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 25% ended up on the winning side ($9.1M won, $27M lost).
- Who funds Women Vote!?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2020 cycle were Emily's List Non-Federal ($7.5M), Donald Sussman ($4.1M), America Votes ($1.2M), Vincent Ryan ($1.0M), Michael Bloomberg ($1.0M), out of $26M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did Women Vote! spend the most on in 2020?
- for Joe Biden (President, $5.4M, won); against Susan Margaret Collins (Maine Senate, $4.3M, lost); against Joni Ernst (Iowa Senate, $3.9M, lost).